Everyone Against You? ⚽️How to Turn It Around Just Like Jude

Did you see that bicycle kick in extra time on Sunday?

I’ve watched all the Euro 24 England games at Pasadena’s British Pub Lucky Baldwins and last Sunday was so dramatic I actually lost my voice with all the cheering!The rapid unexpected turnaround of England’s performance was both stressful and exhilarating and not a lot different to the situation some executives are in when they are leading their company through challenging performance results and they ask for my advice.  Taking some lessons from that headline grabbing match here’s what every leader can learn from Jude Bellingham:

• Give it all you have got until the whistle blows When a new leader joins or a new initiative launches there is a lot of excitement and commitment from every function. As the year progresses the energy required goes up but the energy available isn’t always there. This fatigue can hit teams hard whether you are launching new technology, merging two companies, getting ready for an IPO, or trying to get your team to qualify for the European Quarter Finals.  Jude Bellingham didn’t give up in the 95th minute when England were loosing 1-0 against Slovakia, the crowd had given up, the commentators were already commiserating, and the crowd at the British pub Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena mostly had their heads in their hands.  Until… Jude scored with a bicycle kick to bring England level so we went into extra time.  How far into the game are you with your team and projects? Are you keeping your team focused at the right energy levels up until the final seconds?  
• Have confidence to try the elaborate There were literally seconds left in the game. Englands performance in the competition so far has received a lot of criticism.  It would have been understandable if Bellingham had tried a safer strike on goal, but instead he went for an elaborate bicycle kick.  When the pressure is on it’s easy and understandable to want to retreat.  When you are leading complex changes with your team, you are often 3months ahead of everyone else in the journey of what is possible and resistance can be overwhelming.  Which is why you often have to make the bold elaborate move right at the moment resistance might be at its highest.   
• Expect to be booed Imagine being Gareth Southgate managing the England team as they are booed by the majority of the 47,000 crowd at the Veltins-Arena at half time. Imagine being on that team and hearing how disappointed the crowd who travelled to Germany to cheer on their team.  While as a leader you might not get the active loud booing from the crowd when you walk through the office or onto the stage in front of your company all hands meeting, I know many of you feel that there are times when it seems that everyone is secretly booing you.   -If you have a Truth Telling Company this won’t be a surprise to you because people around you will be telling the truth to you even when news is bad.   The England team just have to open a newspaper or look online to know exactly what their fans and football pundits think of them, do you have that clarity of feedback about what your supporters and team think of you?  
• Ask Who Else Could Do Your Job Better Than You? Bellingham stood in front of the crowd after his 95th minute equalizer and shouted “Who Else?!” As a response to all the ”rubbish” he and the team had to deal with on the run up to the game.  While Bellingham asked this to prove his critics wrong, it’s a brilliant question to ask yourself when the pressure is mounting and you need a boost to your confidence that you are in the right place and uniquely qualified to do the job you are paid to you. 

Are you a Ted Lasso fan? I use examples from how Ted leads his team during my keynotes, strategy sessions, and team galvanization events. My fall 2024 and 2025 calendar is getting booked up fast, reply today if you want to explore how I can accelerate your growth. 

Wishing everyone this side of the pond a happy celebration of independence from my ancestors. 

…and to everyone cheering on England on Saturday wishing that there is a less intense winning result when England play Sweden on Saturday in the quarter finals of Euro 2024. 

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

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